How A Pterodactyl Was Smarter Than Jack Harkness
by elfe136
Summary: In which Jack needs to tell Ianto something important.


Just some random Janto fluff I wrote to cope with Janto feels. Enjoy! :)

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Jack has lost count of how many years he's lived, of how many times he's died. He's living in the twenty-first century, more than three thousand years before he was even born. Sometimes it amazes him how primitive people in this time are. Sometimes he feels like there's nothing that matters, like everything is utterly meaningless.

Thoughts like this usually come to him at night, when he's all on his own in the vast underground Torchwood hub, when sleep doesn't come easily and he wishes he could just forget. It's better when somebody else is there, something to distract Jack from the looming thoughts that only come at nights. Sometimes it's Tosh, working on some project of hers. Recently, it's often been Ianto.

Jack has lived for hundreds of years, but even after hundreds of years, Ianto stands out. He's never met anybody quite like him - so unbelievably_ normal_ at first sight, but since he actually started to attention to him, Jack has noticed so many wonderful things about the young man. His compassion. His patience. His quiet acceptance. How he can work hard and show the world a smile when deep down, he is broken.

Jack only knows how broken and sad Ianto used to be because Ianto told him. Because Jack is the one who has sworn to himself to fix this, to heal Ianto's sadness over Lisa. Because Jack seems to be the only one who really gets to Ianto.

It's lasted for a few months now, this... thing between them. Well, if Jack's honest, he's been attracted to Ianto from the moment they met - even more so since they fought the Pterodactyl together. Jack has no clue when he actually fell in love. It just happened. It was only some flirting and a few kisses at first. Now it's something that feels like a proper relationship. They go on dates together. They have sex. They hold hands. They look out for each other even more than they did before. And Jack gets a warm, secure feeling in his chest whenever he looks into Ianto's eyes.

x

Tonight, it's only him, though. He feels like it's going to be another sleepless night - he's drunk far too much coffee over the day and their recent case has left him reeling. It's a good thing that it's over now. But for one long, unbearable moment, Jack thought he would lose Ianto forever.

It's not like they don't face dangerous situations on a regular basis. Jack has died lots of times during missions for Torchwood. The others got critically injured more than once. But Ianto isn't usually in the line of fire. Only this time, he was.

Jack hears a soft screech from above and looks up to see the Pterodactyl flapping its wings and coming down towards him. Jack has lost his fear for the creature long ago - it's a guard dog, it's used to them, it doesn't attack. He smiles fondly at the memory of catching it as it settles on the ground a few feet from him.

Jack takes some of the dark chocolate that's always stashed and throws it to the dinosaur, who snatches it up with an appreciative squeak.

"Just you and me then, I suppose", Jack says absent-mindedly.

He can't stop thinking about the events of that day. It was Weevils, again - only one at first, and he and Ianto fought it and overwhelmed it, but then two, three, five, dozens more came out of the sewers - one attacked Ianto, dragged him to the ground, sank its teeth into his neck - and for one moment, Jack thought, _it's over, he's dead, I'll never get the chance to tell him..._

But they managed to combine efforts and save Ianto, and Jack never got the chance to think about what exactly it is that he now has another chance to tell Ianto.

Jack has always had trouble speaking his mind. Flirting comes naturally to him - with anyone and anything under any circumstances imaginable, but once it gets more serious, he's less outgoing. He doesn't like commitment, he likes to flirt (and sleep) around, he doesn't want to get stuck with only one person.

Or, at least, that was what he was like before Ianto.

Ianto just sort of... changes things. Jack still flirts with other people. But he would never even dream about sleeping with anybody else as long as he has Ianto. He doesn't want to let go of Ianto. And that moment, when he thought Ianto was dying - it was just scary. He doesn't want to lose Ianto.

The Pterodactyl screeches softly and crawls a little closer. It nudges Jack's leg gently with its beak and Jack pats its head. It's nice, not being alone.

"What do you think, hm?", he says, half to himself, half to the animal beside him. "Is Ianto special?"

He knows the answer, and it's confirmed by the Pterodactyl as it squeals and picks at his leg affectionately. It then pulls back, makes a movement as if it was shaking its head, and sets off to fly around the hall.

Jack misses it. It's nice to have some company.

But then, he supposes, it was just disappointed in him. Because it was such a stupid question. Is Ianto special? Why does he even have to ask that?

Ianto might be the most special person Jack has ever met. The most special ordinary human being. And, Jack realises suddenly, he doesn't want to live without him; he feels if Ianto should ever be taken from him, he will have no purpose on Earth anymore.

Jack truly and deeply loves Ianto Jones.

He smiles and reaches for his mobile - he needs to tell Ianto. On the phone, he simply says he's lonely and bored and would Ianto mind terribly if he came to his flat? He's there a few minutes later. He can tell that Ianto was just getting ready to go to bed.

Well, to bed he will go, Jack thinks, but not alone. Not tonight.

He closes the door to Ianto's flat behind him and kisses his lover. Jack will never get tired of kissing Ianto. He runs his hands through Ianto's hair, sucking at his lower lip while their tongues battle for dominance - soon they're out of breath and have to break apart, panting into each other's mouths and clinging to each other's shirts.

"I need to tell you something", Jack whispers.

"Something I thought of, something important."

"Oh, and what's that?", Ianto asks, a hint of amusement in his voice.

Jack runs his thumb along Ianto's cheekbone and pulls him a little closer.

"I love you", he breathes into his lover's ear.

Ianto's answering smile is the most beautiful thing he's ever seen.


End file.
